Triad War
by Jokermask18
Summary: Amon may have dealt a crippling blow to the Triads but they weren't the only groups opposed by the Equalists, nor were they the only Triads. The next Paradoxverse fic sees Korra uniting with friend and foe alike to stop three warring fractions from dominating the United Republic, two of which carry secrets from the past. Sequel to Real Connecitions.
1. Preparations and predictions

Triad War

An LOK fan-fic by J.W. Appel

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own creations. All things Avatar belong to Bryke and Nickelodeon.

Author's Note: Well, here it is at last: the next installment of my Paradoxverse and first fan-fic of 2014! I hope everyone is having an awesome New Year so far and I'd like to officially welcome back Silver Omega 01, whose been sorely missed. Her newest fan fic "the First Avatar: New Cycle" is an incredible reboot of her already awesome fic "the First Avatar", written to honor the canon established in LOK Book 2. It's even better than the original so please check it out. For those who are following, this story starts right after the Epilogue of Real Connections.

"Y-you're serious Korra, you actually visited the Spirit World with Aang!?" This was Tenzin's shocked response after the Avatar had explained exactly what had transpired during her coma-like sleep during supper. Everyone was amazed for Korra's spiritual weakness was well know and while she had finally made a true connection following Amon's defeat, few had thought she would advance far enough to reach the Spirit world in such a short time. The fact that she was even receiving visions from his father was enough for Tenzin.

Korra simply laughed at their disbelief. She wouldn't have believed it herself not long ago. "It's true" the Avatar confirmed with a warm smile "Aang showed me so much and told me how proud he was of each and every one of you. I can see now why everyone loved him so much,"

"He was a great man as well as a great father" Tenzin said with a touch of sadness in his voice "I'm relieved beyond words to know I've made him proud despite my mistakes." The Air bending master fell silent then and Pema lay a comforting hand on her husband's own. Tenzin's brother Bumi also had a sad little smile on his face at the mention of his beloved father.

"You and me both little brother" the United Forces Commander said with a nod before turning his attention to Korra. "So tell us Pops, what's this other news you mentioned before we sat down? Some new kind of trouble I think you said?"

At that, Korra's face turned grim. She didn't even bother to scold Bumi for calling her "Pops." "Before I left the Spirit World, Aang gave me a warning" the Avatar said "he told me something or someone worse than Amon was going to show up in the near future and we'd have to work together with the Equalists to stop it. I know it might sound crazy but I know Aang was telling the truth. As much as we might hate to admit it, the Equalists did have a point about life in the city."

Everyone turned to each other with looks ranging from guilt to confusion and even pity. Bumi in particular looked thoughtful before finally saying "Korra's right, it's not like it was during Mom and Dad's day. At least with Fire Lord Ozai and Yakone, it was easy to tell who the bad guys were."

"It's true" Tenzin said with equal parts guilt and frustration "If I had been more assertive on the council in opposing Tarrlok, they wouldn't have acted foolishly enough to actively oppress non-benders and give Amon so much leverage, to say nothing of the Triad activity over the years."

"We can't change the past but we can influence the future" Korra said, sounding uncharacteristically wise "I'm going to try my hardest to convince the Equalists and all non-benders that the Avatar cares about equality and will fight for everyone."

"Great" said a new voice sarcasticly "maybe you can start with helping the Equalists unload their bombs." Everyone turned to see Lin Beifong standing in the doorway, trademark scowl on her face. The air bender children suddenly became ecstatic.

"Yay, Hero Lady is here!" Meelo squeeled as he and his sisters raced towards the new arrival. No one noticed the annoyed look on Pema's face but they did notice the slight smile on the Chief's face at the children's presence.

"What are you doing here Lin?" Tenzin asked "I've heard you've been tied to your desk for weeks now filing Equalist reports." Lin responded by pulling out one such report and placing it on the dinner table.

"It just came in a few hours ago that the Equalists launched an attack on the Laogai district and raided the police warehouse. They took a few handfuls of shock gloves and a very large assortment of bombs. It's quite obvious that they're planning something big and I'd like Korra and General Iroh to assist my officers on patrol for the next few weeks."

Bumi coughed loudly as a means of getting attention. "Actually, Iroh was called back to home base not long after Amon was beaten Lin" the Commander said matter-of factly "he left me in charge though and I'd be happy to lend my troops." Lin looked directly at him then and furrowed her brows . She seemed almost surprised to see him there.

"And you are…?" Lin asked in a confused voice. Bumi gawked at her response for a moment and glared.

"Are you kidding? It's me, Bumi! You know, Tenzin's older brother, the one who dated Ursa? Aunt Toph babysat me like a million times while you were staying over!" At Lin's blank face, the Commander facepalmed. "You used to call me 'Boom-boom the doofus'?

Lin's face brightened with recongnition. "Oh, it's you. Sorry I didn't recongnise you without that stupid grin you always have on." Bumi scowled. Lin had always been hostile towards him, even when they were kids. He'd tried to be nice to her since she was dating Tenzin but all he ever got was insults and pranks, just like Kya. He supposed it was fitting since Aunt Toph always insisted she'd be a sister to him.

"Anyway, we'd be glad to assist you Chief" Korra spoke up in an effort to steer the conversation back to business "but if what you say is true, I'd better start training right away. Come on Tenzin, you too Bumi." Tenzin nodded and stood up to follow the Avatar to the courtyard. Though he was somewhat surprised, Bumi soon did the same.

Everyone else at the table was equally curious. Though Bumi was greatly loved by his immediate family, they couldn't help but wonder just what Korra needed him for. After a moment or two of silence, Lin gave into her curiosity. "This should be interesting" she said out loud, announcing her intentions as she strolled out of the room. This of course got the air bender kids excited.

"Canwegotoo Mommy?" Ikki babbled "Can we? Can we? Pretty please with moon peaches on top?" This combined with Jinora's equally pleading gaze and Meelo announcing his desire to help "Hero-lady" forced Pema to numbly nod her head. As her three eldest children excitably sped away, the Acolyte mother heard her youngest begin to wail and sighed. "Coming Rohan" she called out and made her way to the nursery, all the while grumbling "at least one of my kids is interested in me."

Out in the courtyard, everyone bore witness to Korra's air bending practice. The Avatar performed each move with grace and precision, making even Lin rather impressed. Tenzin in particular was astonished at her skill. Only one day ago, the same girl had been clumsy and unsure in her movements, relying on the Avatar State to correct her mistakes. Whatever Aang had done or said, it clearly worked.

"Excellent work Korra1" Tenzin proclaimed as his student performed the last of her memorized moves "I'm almost ready to say you've mastered air bending with that kind of skill. All you need now is to create your own move." This last part caught the Avatar by surprise.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Tenzin realized as he noticed Korra's face "it's an old tradition that an Air Nomad can only earn their arrows by first mastering the thirty-six tiers of air bending, which you've pretty much done by memorizing and now doing them, but you must also create a new air bending move as well. My father did it by inventing the Air Scooter when he was twelve and when I was sixteen I developed the Air Cycle." Tenzin demonstrated by creating the massive wheel of air he'd utilized in the fight against Hiroshi Sato. Korra watched this display with a raised eyebrow and slight annoyance over not being told sooner.

"And this applies to Avatars too? Even those that weren't born Air Nomads?"

"I'm afraid so" Tenzin said with some embareassment"I can't give you that much information on exactly what's been done before but it is essential that the Avatar learn as much as they can from the cultures they embody."

Korra sighed. Just when she thought her troubles with air bending were over, something new poped up. "Okay, I'll figure something out after we've dealt with whatever's coming. Bumi, I need your help now."

"Sounds like Korra needs a practice dummy" Lin taunted "hope your head's soft enough." Bumi shot the police chief a glare and walked over to Korra. "What can I do for ya pops? Need some of my cunning and cat-like reflaxes?

"Something like that" Korra said with a slight smile "I heard from a very reliable source that your parents taught you the martial arts for water and air bending. I was wondering if you'd be willing to teach me?"

Bumi smiled. "I do and I'd be honored Pops. I also know a bit of fire and earth if you're interested."

"Why would you need to learn the forms again Korra? You've already mastered them when it comes to water, earth, and fire bending and your air bending is almost as good now" Tenzin pointed out. Before Korra could respond, Bumi spoke up.

"I believe Korra wants to learn to bend without bending little brother" the Commander explained "those equalists rely on chi blocking to beat benders one on one and if our girl can fight without bending in a way that comfortable and familiar, she may just even the playing field. Am I right Korra?"

"That's right" the Avatar replied with a nod "I have a way to broker peace with the equalists that will require me being able to fight on their terms." Korra wasn't ready to admit the whole truth just yet, that while she did have a plan, this was also about lessening her dependence on her bending and boosting her self esteem. She would never allow Amon or anyone like him to terrify her ever again.

Tenzin raised an eyebrow at Korra's statement. "A way to broker peace that involves learning a new fighting style? That hardly sounds appropriate Korra. If we're going to ally with the Equalists, we need rational discussion and negotiation." The Air Bending master was determined not to make the same mistakes he had when dealing with Tarrlok.

"Come on bro, this is still important" Bumi argued "Korra might need some new tricks if the Equalists don't listen to reason."

"We can't get them to listen if we keep going the violence route Bumi" Tenzin objected with a glare "it's the same thing I warned Tarrlok against time after time!" Bumi frowned slightly and met Tenzin's own glare with a gentle but equally firm look.

"Look Tenzin, I understand your point, I really do but the way I heard it, you spent so much time debating with that Tarrlok guy, nothing got done and Amon took the city. In the end, all you two did was exchange harsh words and remember what Dad always told us? Harsh words never solved problems, action does."

Tenzin tried to argue further but couldn't. Whenever Bumi was serious, he was usually right. The fact that he had both quoted their father and used the glare he inherited from their mother didn't help. After further discussion and Korra's promise that her plan involved minimum violence, her new training was underway.

Bending without bending seemed easy at first, Korra having done each movement more times than she could count already, but difficulty did arise. It took a great deal of focus and concentration to do the move without bending and even when she managed that, her limbs were stiff and her attacks slow. Bumi told her not to get discouraged as his parents had encountered the same problems when he asked them to teach him, as had Zuko and Toph when he wished to further his skill. But eventually, the great masters had persevered and so would Korra.

While Korra trained for what was to come however, others were making their own preparations. The Equalist were equipping themselves for the attack in two day and Ning, the sleeper agent in league with the long lost Rumblers Triad was setting things in motion for their betrayal to his real boss, the Boulder II. Little did anyone know that other players were about to join the game as well.

The first of these new players was also a sleeper agent, an Air Acolyte named Gado. In the dead of night, he sat in his room sending a telegraph to a place thought long abandoned: the Southern Air Temple. The recipient of this telegraph was clad in the clothes of traditional Air Nomad and even had arrows but they were pitch black rather than blue. His steely gray eyes studied the message with keen interest. "So, Avatar Aang has somehow warned his successor of our plans, has he? Well, both she and these Equalists will soon learn to fear the coming of the Four Winds Triad!" So saying, the man turned and walked towards the Avatar Statue Room , more specifically the statue of Avatar Roku. Raising his right hand and clenching it into a fist, he began concentrating intently. Moments later, the statue shattered!

The other new players in the game were arriving by boat around that same time. They had come a long way to settle an old score. As their ship docked into the Republic City Harbor, they hurled the last of the crew members they had killed overboard. Some were grotestly mangled as though every bone in their bodies were snapped in two, others were severely dehydrated corpses, every last drop of fluid in their bodies depleted, and some had massive holes burned straight through their bodies.

The ones who performed these gruesome acts were about twelve in number, composed of Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation descendents. The later all had their faces concealed by cloaks. "So, this is Republic City? Much smaller than I imagined" a distinctly feminine cloaked figure mused "you are certain the Triple Threats operate her?"

The one she had spoken too, an usually pale Water Tribe man with long ragged hair, chuckled. "Of course Madame, they're the largest Triad in the territory, though their numbers have scattered since Amon eliminated their leader."

"Yes, a pity he is no longer around, I was looking forward to destroying him personally but no matter." So saying, the woman removed her hood to reveal a classic Fire nation beauty, save for the third eye on her forehead. "All that matters is taking this territory for ourselves and making Veka's Equalists regret the day they dared oppose the Dark Elements!"

AN2: Not a bad intro, eh? Longtime readers will recongnise the Dark Elements from my old rewrite of Korra episode nine but this revised version is far more interesting, I assure. Updates will be weekly if I can help it so please stay tuned and review if you can. See you soon!


	2. Escalation and Foreshadowing

Over the next two days, things were quiet in Republic City. Korra would train rigorously with Tenzin in the morning to keep her air bending sharp, go on an uneventful patrol with the police in the afternoon, and continue her hand-to-hand training with Bumi at night. She had yet to involve Team Avatar in these activities, mostly because things were tense between Mako and her, putting Bolin in the middle and making the brothers moved into a new apartment some weeks ago. Asami had her own priorities at the moment, struggling to keep Future Industries afloat

On the third day, the Avatar was asked by the Council to attend a special ceremony at the Water Tribe Cultural Center. More specifically, a ceremony meant to honor the late Councilman Sokka, who had been the one to back the center's construction years ago All of Republic City's prominent Water Tribe citizens were in attendance, including Tenzin and his family. Though he had embraced his father's culture growing up, the Air Bending master always made sure to honor his entire family.

Korra had been listening to Councilman Karuko, the only remaining Water Tribe representative following Tarrlok's recently discovered death, give a long winded and utterly boring speech when she noticed a familiar face in the crowd. "Tahno? Is that you?"

It was indeed the former Captain of the Wolfbats, now humbled immensely from his encounter with Amon. When Korra returned to Republic City following the restoration of her bending, Tahno had been first on her list for getting his bending back. He had since then retired from Pro-bending to do more honest work and even offered the Fire Ferrets the championship pot he had won via illeagal means. While Bolin had gladly accepted, Mako still held a grudge and even became angry at Korra for restoring his bending in the first place. This had been the subject of one of the couple's arguments. That and the fact that the Avatar had struck up a friendship with her former rival and spoke to him a bit too often for the fire bender's liking.

Tahno noticed Korra and smiled he walked over to her. "Hey Uh-vatar, what brings you here? I thought you'd be too busy kicking Equalist butt to come to this snooze fest."

"You ever gonna get my title right pretty boy?" Korra asked with a smirk "and yeah, Tenzin and the other old dudes on the Council made me come to this thing. I'm proud of my heritage and all but I'm pretty sure my ancestors did more than give speeches. What about you? I notice you're dressed for work."

Tahno had gotten a job at Nanook's following his retirement from Pro-bending. It was a decent job but he loathed the uniform, which he was required to wear during all hours at work. He looked down at the object of his distain and sighed. "Don't remind me. The boss has me out here doing advertising and promotion work. Speaking of which, here's a coupon for fifty percent off your next meal."

Korra took the coupon with a warm smile. It was hard to believe this was the same jerk who had antagonized the Fire Ferrets not long ago. "Thanks Tahno but I don't eat there enough to use one of these. You should give it to Bolin instead."

Tahno waved her off. "Nanook practically lets him eat there for free as it is and besides, it was his idea to give it to you. He's always asking about you when he comes into the shop. I'm starting to think he might have a thing for you."

Korra laughed a bit nervously at that comment and felt a blush enter her cheeks. Along with guilt over what had occurred with Asami, Korra also retained some guilt over what had happened between her and Bolin. While she had never meant to hurt him or lead him on {despite Mako's irrational and somewhat arrogant assumptions otherwise}, the Avatar felt bad for acting so oblivious to his crush. Amon and her feelings for Mako had made her inattentive to little else it seemed. She felt worse about it lately since Bolin always got caught up in the arguments ever since she and his brother began dating.

Tahno caught Korra's reaction and frowned. "You okay Korra? I didn't mean to imply anything. Uh…you and Bo weren't dating at one point were you? Because, it you were and you're seeing his brother now, that's kinda awkward…isn't it?

"It's not like that Tahno" Korra explained "it's…well, it's really complicated. Let's just say Mako was being a jerk and I was caught up in my own feelings. I just hope Bolin doesn't think I'm avoiding him."

Before Tahno could respond, Bumi appeared behind them. "You're up next pops, everyone wants the Avatar to say a few words about her birth Nation before Councilman Windbag wraps this up." Korra frowned deeply at that but grunted in acceptance and with a nod from Tahno, departed.

"So…you're Councilman Tenzin's brother right, the soldier?" Tahno asked awkwardly after a few moments. Bumi was about to answer proudly before a conflicted look crossed his face. The truth was, he didn't know what he was anymore.

Right before being dispatched to Republic City, the Commander had been given the rather depressing news that he was being relieved from duty following the end of the Equalist crisis. His superiors, a Council independent of the one in Republic City, declared he was growing too old for active service and his command of the Second Division was being transferred to a younger man. It was a particularly humiliating experience after his decades of service and only his mother, whom he had always trusted, knew his secret.

"Yeah kid I am" he said finally "you're Tahno right? The Pro bender?"

"Uh…ex Pro Bender sir" Tahno muttered reluctantly "I cheated the Fire Ferrets in the finals and paid for it when Amon took my bending. The only good thing that came from it was finally realizing what a jerk I was and how hard life in this city can be for non-benders. No offense but it really sucked not having bending for a while."

"None taken" Bumi chuckled "I was pretty lucky to have loving parents who also happened to be the mightiest benders in the world. They wouldn't like how the city's so oppressive of those who can't bend these days. There hasn't even been a non-bender on the Council since my uncle died."

As he spoke, Bumi shifted his gaze towards the Sokka statue that stood proudly in front of the cultural center. Though he had often thought of his uncle as a goof, particularly when compared to his Aunt Suki and other non-bending heroes of his childhood, he had been a good councilman who helped keep Republic City a fair and just place to live. Even Katara, who had been brilliant while serving on the very first Council years ago, had admitted to her eldest son that Sokka surpassed her as a politician. Maybe things would really improve if there was someone like him on the Council today.

Before Bumi could continue this train of thought, something caught his eye. There was definitely something off about his uncle's statue, particularly the head. "Say Tahno, do you notice anything abo-?" The commander's question was cut off by a massive explosion that sent the head of the statue toppling down to the platform below.

"KORRA,LOOK OUT!" The Avatar heard Tahno's shout just in time and earth bent a protective dome around herself. The stone likeness of Sokka shattered instantly on contact and sprayed the pavement with gravel. The crowd barely had time to register the shock before the entire center, statue and all, erupted into flames.

The police officers who had been assigned to guard the event reacted quickly, using their own bending to shield civilians from the explosion. Bumi also jumped into action to help Tenzin and Pema protect the air bender kids. The moment this was done, Korra lowered her earth dome and attempted to extinguish the flames.

As Korra relied on her water bending the least in combat, she seldom carried a water skim. She did however have some limited skill in pulling water from the air. Katara had never taught her much of this ability, mostly because the old master had never fully learned it herself. When the Avatar questioned her about it, she was reluctant to speak of who taught her or where.

The Avatar brushed these thoughts aside for the moment and focused on the task at hand. She pulled as much water as she could from the air and even from the sweat she had started to work up from the heat of the fire. It doused the fire slightly but was not be enough to extinguish it completely until a second stream of water appeared from out of nowhere to join it. It was Tahno, having procured a skim from a healer in the crowd. He flashed Korra a smirk and asked "what would you do without me?"

Korra was about to reply when the familiar sound of motorcycles reached her ears. It didn't take long for her to figure out just who was behind the bombing. "Equalists!" The cry went out just as the masked revolutionaries appeared, the eyes of their masks now bearing the blue of the Water Tribes rather than the usual green.

This was not the only difference in the Equalists however. They had none of their usual weapons and instead carried spears, nets, and even boomerangs, all traditional Water Tribe weapons and tools. One spear wielding Equalist leapt off his bike and rushed towards the crowd, actually picking a fight with one of the healers. The rest followed his lead and soon, all the assembled Water Tribe citizens were fighting for their lives.

Most of the men, several women, and even some of the children who could bend fought back as hard as they could but were no match for the spear wielding revolutionaries' skills. Even the boomerangs seemed more dangerous in Equalist hands as those struck by them were instantly beaten. Those who couldn't bend or were just healers ended up being chi blocked and netted. By the time Korra and Tahno had entered the fray, only Tenzin's family was left standing.

"You're late pops" Bumi quipped as he fought off several equalists with his Water bending Martial arts "I was beginning to think you and your boyfriend had bailed on us." This comment visibly annoyed Korra and made Tahno blush as they fought off their own foes.

"Tahno's not my boyfriend Bumi and quit calling me Pops!" Korra called back as she attacked her enemies full force with her fire bending. Tenzin rolled his eyes at their bickering even as he continued knocking back foes with air blasts. "Stay focused you two! Pema and the kids are trying to get to Oogie and we must clear a path for them."

At that moment, Tenzin's family was making their way through the rapidly thinning crowd. Any Equalists that came near them were easily repelled by the Air bender kids until one of them hurled a boomerang directly at Pema's back. The Acolyte matriarch gave a startled yelp as she was struck and crumpled to the ground unconscious. "Mommy!"

The air bender kids were so frightened by the development that they left themselves open to being chi-blocked. Tenzin caught sight of this and became enraged, conjuring up a massive whirlwind that he sent at the offending Equalists. He was so focused on attacking them that he failed to notice the boomerang aimed at his own back and soon joined his wife in unconsciousness.

It was now just Korra, Bumi, and Tahno alone against the Equalists. The masked revolutionaries had all drawn their boomerangs and were quickly starting to surround the trio. "Something's up" Bumi muttered as he eyed the weapons "boomerangs shouldn't be this effective against anyone. Uncle Sokka glorified his and it only bounced off things half the time!"

Korra narrowed her eyes at the weapon in question. She briefly remembered seeing boomerangs as toys for the kids in her village back home before she was discovered by the White Lotus and knew they generally didn't have such an odd yet somehow familiar design. It wasn't until she saw a spark of electricity leap from one that she put it together.

"Those boomerangs are electrified!" Korra cried out "they're just like the shock gloves Hiroshi Sato made!" This news was enough to send Councilman Karuko, who had been cowering near the platform the entire time, running from the scene. He may have favored direct action against the Equalists within the Council Chambers but facing such radicals in person was another story.

He hadn't gotten far when a woman suddenly stepped out in front of him. She looked Water Tribe and was dressed similarly to the man Amon called his lieutenant. Karuko could still remember the man from his kidnapping over a month ago.

"Why Councilman, I'm shocked" the mystery woman said a sneer "surely you're not going to miss out on such a glorious battle?" Karuko gave a short gasp of surprise and took a step backwards. Whoever this woman was, he could tell she was clearly dangerous.

"Stay back whoever you are" the Councilman warned as he revealed the skim he carried "I'm armed!" This threat, delivered in a voice that he hoped sounded brave, was merely a bluff on Karuko's part. The old fashioned Northerner in him refused to bend against a woman, especially one who couldn't bend herself. This woman however was not intimidated by such a flimsy threat. Instead, she stepped closer

"How typical, a bender relying on his impurity to defend himself. You claim pride in your heritage but do you even know it for what it really is? Before water bending, our people were forced to face the elements armed only with spears, courage, and the will to adapt. Those were the true founders of the Tribe whereas what has bending brought us? It was water bending that separated us and has made it easy for weak, undeserving women to be called warriors while non-bending girls have had to work to earn the approval of sexist men, it was water bending that sent the Fire Nation down on us during the Hundred Year War, and it was water bending that gave rise to blood bending and allowed the likes of Yakone to run amok! But now, we true warriors of the Tribe will strike back! Even now, my Equalists use the tools of my ancestors to triumph over these pretenders, tools that the traitorous Councilman Sokka could never utilize fully! I am Veka of the South and I am the true solution!"

As the woman known as Veka rambled, she began engaging Karuko in combat with a spear. He tried to fight back but he was no Master. In fact, most of the Council aside from Tenzin and Tarrlok were very poor Benders who could barely hold their own against even novices. Councilwoman Shiza didn't even use her fire bending except for mundane tasks like cooking and lighting cigarettes. It was clear to the Councilman that he was most certainly doomed.

While this one sided battle took place, Korra and her allies were now fully cornered by the equalists. The masked revolutionaries hurled their electrified boomerangs all at once and there was little the trio could do to avoid them. Bumi however, was good at thinking up strategies on the spot. He had actually gotten the chance to study a Shock Glove shortly after he arrived in Republic City and remembered where the power source was located. If he had to guess, these new boomerangs had a similar design and looked to even be made from the same parts. He also saw that there were only five of them despite the large number of Equalists. With this in mind, he formed a plan.

"Stay back kids!" With this warning, the Commander hurled five razor sharp knives, all thrown simultaneously and with deadly accuracy thanks to training from honorary Aunt Mai, directly at the hole in the center of each boomerang. They exploded harmlessly before ever reaching their targets.

Before any of the Equalists could even register what had happened, Korra went on the offensive and entered the Avatar State. In minutes, she had captured them all simultaneously in mounds of earth. "Nice job BumI" the Avatar said "I guess you really are a mad genius."

Before Bumi could respond, Tahno shouted "Look!" The trio turned their attention towards Councilman Karuko and were shocked to see him fighting for his life against a mysterious woman. By the look of it, he was clearly on the losing end.

"Who's that?" Korra asked "It looks like the Lieutenant but it's a woman. How come we haven't seen her until today?"

" I don't know but regardless of where she came from, it's obvious she's been leading the Equalists today and for who knows how long" Bumi proclaimed "we beat her and this whole thing ends today. Come on!"

The trio rushed towards the fight and left the captured Equalists behind. One of them, Ning, who had been the designer for the latest weapons, chuckled under his breath. "Oh, it's far from over. "

…

With one last attack, Veka knocked Councilman Karuko to the ground and held the tip of her spear at his throat. A satisfied smile crossed her face at the fear in his eyes. "Are you afraid Councilman? Do you feel helpless? Good, that's how my husband felt when your kind took him from me!"

Before the Equalist leader could finish the job, a water whip knocked her spear from her hand. She turned to see the Avatar herself glaring at her. "How about we give YOU something to fear!?"

Veka snarled in response and drew her electrified kai sticks from behind her back. Before anyone could make a move however, something odd happened. The Equalist's weapons and the generator strapped to her back that powered them began to warp around her unnaturally. The generator actually began covering her torso and added such weight that she fell to her knees. Her Kai sticks had also twisted themselves around her wrists and bound her hands behind her back.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Veka exclaimed "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AVATAR!?" Bumi and Tahno turned to Korra for an explanation and the Avatar shrugged. "Don't look at me" Korra said "I can't metal bend like this, or even metal bend at all. I don't think even Lin's metal bending is this powerful."

" Well, always nice to hear such compliments from a beautiful young lady" a deep voice chuckled and caused everyone to turn around. There stood a tall, very well built Earth Kingdom man in a dark green business suit and short hair. A gold ring bearing the symbol for his native element adorned the middle finger of his left hand.

"Who are you?" Korra asked "are you the metal bender who caught this woman?" To the Avatar's surprise, the man leaned forward and kissed her hand in a gentlemanly way. It was almost enough to make her blush.

"It was my honor madam" the man said, confirming his act of heroism "the Equalists have been a thorn in everyone's side for far too long. I can only hope Lieutenant Veka here was the last of Amon's protégées." Everyone turned to the woman in question. Finally, the force behind the continued Equalist campaign had both a face and a name but something felt off.

"How did you know her name?" Korra asked suspiciously "no one ever reported seeing her until today. The whole time Amon was active, I only ever saw one Lieutenant and he was a guy."

Before the man could answer, Councilman Karuko butted in and began shaking his hand excitedly. "Who cares how he knows her Avatar? This wonderful stranger just saved my life! You have quite a talent for metal bending sir and I can personally guarantee you a spot on Chief Beifong's police force after this."

The man chuckled again. "I hardly think that would work my good Councilman. Particularly since I intend to make sure the police force and the entire Beifong legacy is wiped off this planet!"

At that moment, over half the Equalists broke free from their Earth prisons. Everyone, including Veka, was shocked. "That's not possible!" Korra exclaimed "the only way they could do that is if they were…"

"Earth benders? Yes Avatar, very astute observation" the man sneered "and now, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Boulder and we are the Rumblers Triad."

As if on cue, the supposed Equalists gathered around the Boulder, removing their outfits as they did. The false revolutionaries were all Earth Kingdom men and women, barefoot and dressed in green vests with gold belt buckles wrestlers often wore after winning championships. All were shocked at the revelation {Councilman Karuko ran off screaming his resignation} but Korra in particular felt a knot form in her stomach. Hadn't Aang mentioned a Rumbler Triad from years ago during her time in the Spirit World?

Veka was enraged. "Earth benders dared infiltrate my Equalists!? How!?" One Rumbler laughed at this question and walked up to the Equalist leader with a smug smirk on his face.

"Are you really asking that? Your entire operation was founded by a bender and none of you self-righteous morons ever caught on. All that masked hypocrite needed were pretty words and a sob story, and not even an original sob story at that. Do you know how many people claim they were attacked by a fire bender per year in this city alone?"

Veka eyed the Rumbler who mocked her closely and gave a short gasp. "That voice…Ning?" The Rumbler gave a mocking vow and she felt her anger return. "You traitor! I even let you design most of our new equipment!"

Ning snorted. "I'm surprised you never caught on after I invented those boomerangs" he said "the original gloves were made of such a thick and heavy metal that anyone dumb enough to make a boomerang from the same material could never throw it…unless they were a metal bender. It's pretty clear that Amon was not only the brains of the operation but the only brain."

"Indeed" the Boulder mused "for was it not Amon alone who found us and drove us away from the main tunnels just as we were on the cusp on revenge? He wasn't even know to the public yet but we knew he was not to be trifled with. That is why we stayed hidden and allowed his plans to go unchallenged but now, Amon is gone and our revenge upon you and this city can finally begin!"

"That will be over my dead body!" This very familiar voice was followed by an equally familiar cable wrapping around the Boulder's hands. Everyone turned to see Lin Beifong and dozens of metal bending officers behind her. Rather than be upset by this development however. The Triad boss seemed thrilled.

"Lin? Is that really you? What a treat, I was hoping those rumors I heard about you becoming Chief were true."

"And I'd hoped what I'd heard about you dying under a rock was true!" Lin spat venomously "you're going to regret showing your face around here after all this time!" The Boulder merely smirked at this threat. For a moment, something that actually looked like lust flashed in his eyes.

"As feisty as ever aren't you? Unfortunately my dear Beifong, you'll find the odds aren't in your favor as they once were. Thanks to acquiring a formidable new skill back home and the genius of dear Mr. Ning, you'll find me more than a worthy opponent." So saying, blades suddenly popped out from the Boulder's sleeves and allowed him to sever the cable that bound his hands. Lin was shocked to find they resembled the same ones she used on her armor.

"It can't be! You're a metal bender!?" All throughout her childhood, Lin was taught that metal bending was a Beifong legacy, invented by her mother and taught to only a select, worthy few. When Toph died because of Lin's teenage stupidity, the once hot headed rookie vowed to become Chief and continue this legacy by training only the very best metal benders she could, a true force to be reckoned with in the war on crime. To see this same legacy in the hands of a criminal, let alone the Boulder, made her blood boil.

The Boulder simply laughed at the Chief's shock. "I am so much more than a mere metal bender Lin" he said with a sneer before turning to his men. "Rumblers, show Chief Beifong why we are the only Triad worth fearing!"

And with these words, a new fight broke out in the streets of Republic City. The Rumblers proved themselves to be quick and cunning, using their bending in ways Lin's officers were not prepared for. They would sink beneath the pavement and emerge elsewhere for surprise attacks, form armor from the pavement itself and charge the officers full force, even convert the pavement into sand that caused the officers to sink. Others were even capable of using metal bending to wrap the officers in their own cables or peel their armor away and chi block them. Soon, all but a select few had been beaten.

Korra in particular had been able to take down a large number of Rumblers due to using her earth bending in conjunction with three other elements and the Avatar State. As she bowled over several with a well placed earth punch and subdued several more with a combo of fire and air blasts, she took a moment to compose herself. "These Rumblers are tough but nowhere near as bad as Amon" the Avatar muttered to herself "they can't be what Aang meant."

Before Korra could ponder this further, a powerful wind suddenly blew in from out of nowhere and traveled through the street, sending a chill down the spines of everyone it touched. It only served to make them pause for just a moment but some used it to their advantage. Bumi was the middle of fighting a Rumbler who had begun making him sink into the ground when the wind brushed past and broke the earth bender's concentration, halting the technique when only the commander's legs were trapped. Bumi used the distraction to reach into his belt and pull out a handful of fire poppers. These still popular Fire Nation playthings had been upgraded for military use and could now be used as powerful explosives on military missions. Bumi sprinkled a few on the ground he was trapped in and freed himself in a fiery miniature explosion, making it seem as though he leaped from a curtain of flame. He then proceed to take down his foe in a quick display of earth bending martial arts before the Rumbler regained his bearings.

"Beat by a non-bender who knows all your moves and then some. How does that feel?" Bumi gloated but before anything more could be said, he noticed Tahno in trouble not far from him. The former pro-bender had been distracted by the strange wind and allowed his opponent to gain an edge. The commander had also noticed that Korra was finishing off her own group of foes almost directly behind them. The mad genius of Bumi's namesake kicked in and he quickly thought up a plan.

Emptying more fire poppers into his hand, Bumi called out "hey Rumbler, how about a game of earth vs fire?" The commander hurled the miniature explosives towards the Triad member and the explosions forced him away from the downed Tahno. Bumi kept this up until the Rumbler was close to Korra and yelled out "hey Pops!"

An annoyed Korra turned around to shout at Bumi and caught sight of what was coming towards her. On instinct, she trapped the Rumbler in earth and then, wrapped the earth in a column of ice to further prevent his escape. Bumi and Tahno ran up to her a moment later.

"Nice job Korra" Bumi complimented when he saw her prison "I knew calling you 'pops' would do the trick."

"Let's not celebrate just yet" the Avatar said "we beat the Rumblers but Chief Beifong is still fighting the Boulder. Come on!" The trio ran far down the street where the two in question had disappeared shortly after the fight began.

Meanwhile, Lin and the Boulder were duking it out in a metal bending duel a good distance away from the others. The Triad boss matched Lin blow for blow as their blades clashed, sparks flying from them as they did. Not since her days of sparing with her mother had the Chief fought so hard.

"You haven't missed a step Lin" the Boulder said with a smirk "doesn't this remind you of the old days? Just you and me testing our might in a contest of true skill, and sparing too of course." The triad boss chuckled at his own joke and narrowly missed avoiding a hit from Lin.

"I'm not interested in the past, HEMU!" Lin snapped, causing the gangster's smile to fade. "Don't ever call me by that weakling's moniker! I am the Boulder!"

"I don't know why you even took your father's old ring name" Lin replied with a roll of her eyes "you always said you were ashamed of his reputation." The Chief then uprooted a large chunk of pavement and hurled it at her rival. The Boulder responded by casually slicing it in half with his blade.

"Indeed" he confirmed "how could I not be ashamed of a loud mouthed oaf who spoke in third person? Sadly, the roughnecks that compose the city's Triads have not the sophistication or understanding of linguistics to respect a name like Hemu, particularly when I couldn't respect it myself. Titles like 'Lighting Bolt Zolt' and 'Viper' are the only ways to earn a reputation amongst these dullards. You would understand if the name "Beifong" meant something anymore."

Anger flashed across Lin's face and she fought harder, almost allowing the manhole cover that rose up behind the Boulder to go unnoticed. She dodged the projectile just seconds before it connected with her skull. "You've gotten spoiled Hemu" the Chief taunted "you've stuck to metal bending this whole time. Too good for old fashioned earth bending anymore?"

The Boulder's face grew solemn at that. "Metal bending is all I have anymore dear Lin. I am a child of Earth no longer."

Genuine shock flashed across Lin's features. "What!? But that's not possible! Metal is another form of earth, not a different element. And what you bend can't just change overtime!"

"Normally, no but much like the legendary Yakone, I was a recipient of special circumstances. Surely my just now demonstrated psychic bending can attest to that." The Boulder said in a manner that made it sound obvious.

"You're comparing yourself to Yakone now?" Lin scoffed "he was talented, unique like his sons. Maybe you are too but that doesn't make your ridiculous story true!"

The Boulder chuckled condescendingly, "You believed Councilman Sokka's naïve claim? The man could barely grasp the concept of bending itself, let alone it's limits. To blood bend without a full moon is talent, but to blood bend multiple victims at once with one's mind? That is something that transcends mortal limit. Surely you've heard the rumors and legends of the third Water Tribe who dwelled in the Earth Kingdom Swamp, which was by itself a mystic tree. This tree could project illusions of lost loved ones and much more. Avatar Aang was forced to destroy the tree long ago but not before one last Tribesman was born from it's roots: Yakone. He was blessed at birth to be a vessel for the swamp's power, as were his sons. How else do you think Amon could use blood bending to 'equalize' someone?"

"If what you say is true, how do you know this?" Lin asked "you're as old as me and I was a kid when Yakone was brought down. Don't tell me you got visited by his ghost and he told you everything?"

The Boulder rolled his eyes. "Hardly" he said "but years ago, before I left the Earth Kingdom, I met an old man named Gahno, one of the last surviving members of Yakone's Tribe. For a price, he told me the truth about Yakone's power and how even though the swamp was almost completely dried up, it's magic still clung to the few remains of water it had. I ventured there and drank some in hopes of reaping such rewards. At first, it did nothing and I believed myself a fool but in recent years…the results speak for themselves."

Lin turned around and saw that her rival had bent an entire Satomobile into the air. A quick glance at his hands and feet revealed he had done so with his mind alone. "My earth bending may be gone, but all metal bends to my will, even platinum" the Boulder proclaimed "I used whatever other water I kept to enhance the skills of my Rumblers so that earth armor, conversion of solid to sand, and other traditional skills could be used in this city. But fear not, there is one vial left."

So saying, the Triad Boss pulled out a test tube from the breast pocket of his suit. Lin could see it was indeed filled with swamp water. "You were the best of the old gang Lin" the Boulder said to her "even when we found out how you lied to us, we all knew you were destined for greatness, I always knew. Can you imagine what this could do for you? No more living in your mother's shadow or struggling to protect a city that's run by fools. You could enforce true order and I will be right by your side, just like old times. I would never abandon you for a concubine like that pompous air bender."

At the mention of Tenzin, Lin's face hardened. With a flick of her cable, she knocked the vial from the Boulder's hand and it shattered on the pavement below. "NO! Do you realize what you've done!?"

Lin ignored him. "You make me sick" she hissed "giving up your connection to the world itself and turning my family's legacy into an unnatural curse? You're worse than before!"

The Boulder's face instantly hardened and an almost savage look crossed his features. "The Boulder knows all power comes with a price" he said in a suddenly gruffer voice "he thought you would too but you destroyed that power. Now, the Boulder will destroy you!"

The enraged Triad Boss hurled the Satomobile directly at a shocked Lin. An instant before it struck her, an earth spike rose up and smashed the car. Both turned to see the Avatar and her allies. "No" Korra said defiantly "now Avatar Korra will smash a Triad boss!"

The Boulder did not respond. Instead, he snarled and tapped the ground three times with his foot. A Rumbler emerged from the ground seconds later, grabbed his boss, and disappeared before anyone could make a move. A few moments later, they found all Rumblers but one had done the same.

Eventually, everyone had recovered and the Equalists were being freed to be taken into custody. Tenzin immediately began questioning Lin about the new enemy they had made. "You never told me you knew another Triad Lin" he told the Chief rather gruffly "how does this 'Boulder' know you personally?"

"You sound jealous" Lin replied cooly "there's a lot about my life you don't know, or never cared to know. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. What matters is that the Equalists are finally in custody."

"Not yet, Chief Beifong" Veka proclaimed as she chi-blocked the officer who had just freed her "we will have revenge for what happened here today, on you and all benders!" The Lieutenant threw a smoke bomb down following this statement, causing everyone to cough and gag. By the time Korra and Tenzin had cleared the smoke away, Veka and the few true Equalists under her were gone.

…

At that moment across town, in Triple Threat Triad headquarters, it's new leader was conducting business with a mysterious stranger. "Look lady, there's no room for Skirts in this Triad, not when Zolt was around, and not with Viper" the rogue water bender sneered at the lady in question "so whatever talents you say you have, I'm sure they're more suitable for say, the Pakku's Law strip joint on the other side of town? I'll see if I can put in a call for you."

"You will speak to Madame Xan with respect!" Vladeku, a very pale Water Tribe man who had accompanied the woman, exclaimed angrily "do you know what happened the last time someone spoke to her that way!?"

Viper sneered and peered down to meet the smaller man at eye level. "No short stuff, I don't. What happened?" Vladeku looked up at Madame Xan, who nodded in response. She lowered the hood she was wearing and the third eye on her forehead began to glow. A moment later, an entire wall of their headquarters exploded and Viper was cowering before a new leader.

AN: Finally here! Next update will be quicker, promise!


End file.
